Check out the eclectic home of Claire Armstrong of DIY blog Pillar Box Blue and take inspiration from her amazing upcycles using secondhand materials from denim jeans to maps…
If your patio chairs or garden benches are looking a little worse for wear after years in your backyard, why not give them a fresh makeover with some seaside-inspired stripes? Here’s a step-by-step video to show you how I upcycled my Adirondack seats for summer…
When I wanted to add more storage to my bathroom, rather than sticking with the plain white ‘off the shelf’ cabinet I found, I decided to personalise it. Here’s how to add a splash of colour and pattern with self-adhesive vinyl…
Turn your garden, deck or courtyard into a perfect place for al fresco entertaining with this outdoor sideboard project, upcycled from an old buffet and plenty of reclaimed pallet wood…
As part of my budget porch makeover, I wanted to make a bench that would give us somewhere to sit while taking off wellies in the new ‘boot room’. Here’s how I upcycled some kitchen stools and a piece of scaffold board from a skip…
Have you ever wondered what plywood is used for? From furniture to construction, this versatile material can be used in various ways to give high-quality results. Whether you’re looking for new DIY project ideas or are just curious about its many applications, here are five possible uses for ply…
Whether you’ve got an old heirloom or a tatty seat that needs refinishing, repairing a chair is a project you can tackle yourself. It’s always handy to have extra seating so here’s a step-by-step guide to repair and revamp any old chair…
Why not turn an old piece of furniture into a drinks cabinet so that you’re ready to host plenty of fun parties this festive season? Here’s a step-by-step guide to DIY a funky bar from any kind of old writing desk or bureau…
If you’re tackling a home revamp this year, why not consider shopping secondhand for your furniture? It’s certainly a great way to save money and lets you put your own stamp on your interior by creating something completely unique to you. Take inspiration from these talented interior Instagrammers and their 5 amazing upcycles…
Playing in the garden and getting really messy is one of the joys of childhood. So why not help your children to enjoy playing with sand, mud and water outside by constructing this DIY ‘mud kitchen’ from old pallet wood…
If you too have recently installed a new kitchen, you’ll probably want to inject some of your own personality into the room so here are a few different ways to make your new kitchen feel more homely…
Yes, that’s exactly what I did. I’ve been back at the sewing machine and have made some Christmassy covers for my Ercol studio couches. Here’s what I stitched…
I want to make the most of the warm autumn days by getting outside and relaxing in my garden, so I’ve created a copy spot for a cuppa on my decking with a DIY living coffee table planter…
With the soaring price of wood and a need to create more growing space in my veggie patch, I’ve come up with a way to make a low-cost planter out of pieces of furniture that were headed for the skip. Here’s how…
Here’s a quick DIY video that shows you how to upcycle scaffold boards and offcuts of pressure-treated timber to create your own outdoor bench seat for your garden. Using scaffolding is a low-cost source of timber and you can upcycle old planks too…
If you want to put up some nesting boxes and attract birds into your garden, why not upcycle them with fun colours and patterns before you install them? Here’s how I created my colourful cluster of bird ‘apartments’..!
What do you do when you’ve got a shed full of tangled tools and a spare pallet in the garden? Why, pull it apart and build a tool silhouette storage board, of course! Here’s how to DIY your own shed hanging system to organise your essential tools…
Keeping tech gear and cables organised (and safe) can be tricky, which is why I’ve DIY’d some custom foam inserts to safely store my important photography equipment, tech accessories & hobby kit. Here’s how to spring clean & tidy your office drawers…
Although it doesn’t look too bad from this photo my old chest of drawers was broken & falling apart so I decided to upcycle it into not one, not two, but THREE new pieces of furniture for my home – and here are the step-by-step projects…
Get the most out of your existing by furniture by turning a simple coffee table into a two-in-one piece of furniture that converts into a comfy footstool and back again. Here’s how to upholster a padded topper for ANY coffee table…
Take a tour of Lana Rose Interior’s fresh & airy home to get inspiration for your own Scandi-style spring interior. Nicola’s genius upcycling projects will help you stick to your decorating budget while creating peaceful rooms with plenty of character…
I’m sure you already know how handy upcycling is to help you save money & keep items out of landfill – but did you know it’s really beneficial for your mental health too? Here’s how to use your craft skills to revamp furniture & feel happier…
If you enjoy a good book and a cuppa while soaking in a bubbly bath, today’s DIY is for you! Here’s how to build your very own bathroom storage stand using offcuts of scaffolding and upcycled broom handles to create a bath-side spot for your tea..!
If there’s one thing I always need more of its storage, so I’ve come up with a simple DIY project to revamp old drawers to create sliding under-bed boxes on wheels. Here’s how to decoupage the inside & add upcycled handles to stow away toys, books & shoes:
To make the most of the understairs cupboard I’ve transformed the door into a ‘doorganiser’ – a place to store essentials, create a weekly planner for the family & write shopping lists. Here’s how to make your own door organiser by upcycling DIY offcuts…
Welcome to my festive pallet project! I’ve DIYed a friendly freestanding snowman to adorn your lawn and the best part is that he doubles-up as a family game. I’ve teamed up with DIY website ManoMano to show you how to make this dapper snowman for yourself.
Yes! You CAN enjoy a fun & fulfilling Christmas without spending a fortune – you just need to get a bit creative with your time & money. And I’m here to help you! Here are some seasonal step-by-step guides & money-saving tips for a cracking Christmas…
Seeing as the majority of items in my home & wardrobe are second-hand (or rescued from a skip), Recycle Week gives me a chance to shout about all the fab things you can make from unwanted furniture or waste materials – such as these fun upcycling DIYs…
If you’ve got old plastic seating – whether desk chairs, garden loungers or old school seats – it IS possible to refresh the faded & stained plastic rather than taking them to the tip. Here’s how I got on when I gave my plastic swivel chairs a makeover…
If you’ve got a rusty old bicycle that has seen better days, don’t chuck it out just yet – you can renovate it to give it a new lease of life, or upcycle it to use as a pretty planter in your cottage garden. Here’s how to revamp your old bike…
If you’re using a lap tray for your lunch or to hold snacks during film night, it’ll probably get sticky & icky quickly. Even after wiping them down regularly & being careful with spills, they still ended up with little stains & grease marks on the surface. Here’s how to give a lap tray a quick makeover with self-adhesive vinyl…
I’ve been DIYing again and this time I’ve made some nightstands for the bedroom. It’s a simple project that makes use of old drawers from a broken chest to create bedside tables – here’s how…
If you fancy giving your kitchen a new look, there’s no need to splash out on an entirely new installation. Even melamine cupboards can be revamped with spray paint! Here’s a step by step video to show you how to makeover your cabinets…
The original pallet bar project been repurposed – and for good reason. I’ve decided growing veg is more important than having an alfresco G&T, so I’ve given over my much-loved pallet bar to create a nursery space for my seedlings. Here’s how…
Get inspiration for a happy, vibrant, mid-century interior from this apartment tour of interior designer & artist Melanie Mahrhold’s retro, boho home…
We’ve been relying on online orders more over the past month so I thought it would be a good idea to build a parcel box and share the step-by-step project. But how do you build a delivery box without going shopping for DIY materials..?
If you’re spending more time in the garden and need a project to work on, here’s an easy DIY that you can complete in a day. And, if you’re anything like me, you probably already have all of the materials you need lying around on your wood pile, or perhaps you’ve got a pallet stowed behind the shed? Here’s how to turn that old timber into something useful…
What do you do if you have a sofa but don’t like the colour of the fabric any more? Why, re-cover it, of course! Okay, okay, that’s a rather flippant way of looking at upholstery, but why not give it a go yourself? Especially if the alternative is just to get rid of the sofa and buy a brand new one. By attempting to revamp my sofa, I’ll not only save money, it’ll be keeping a bulky item out of landfill too. Let’s get aboard the upcycling train and try to make the most of what we’ve got, right?
If you’ve got your mum coming to stay for Mother’s Day this year, why not give her the hotel experience with a mini makeover for your guest room? Plus, I’ve shared a DIY project to turn an old photo frame into a breakfast tray so that you can bring your mother breakfast in bed too…
When my pallet bar popped up on the TV last week, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It appeared on Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It show and I am chuffed to bits! Here’s a video of that exciting moment..!
If you’re a big fan of house plants like me, here’s a quick and easy DIY plant nursery unit that you can make to keep all your cuttings, off-shoots and baby plants safe and cosy while they grow. You can choose a cabinet to suit the style of your home, and it looks pretty darn cool too! Here’s how to do it…
I was getting close to completing my DIY kitchen renovation but it all went spectacularly wrong last week. If you’ve read my blog, you’ll know that my kitchen ceiling now has about 60 holes in it! So it’s back to the drawing board for more kitchen inspo…
Over the years I’ve lived in some rather small homes and it’s been difficult to decorate for Christmas in such a compact space. However, that’s never stopped me from filling my home with festive decor each December and, in fact, I’ve quite enjoyed the challenge of making my own DIY space-saving Christmas trees. Here are three ways to upcycle pallets, pipes and paint to create your own unique festive decor that doesn’t take up too much space…
No festive party should be without a cocktail cabinet, which is precisely why I’ve DIY’d one this month! Turning this writing bureau into a drinks bar is a relatively easy upcycle (no power tools required!) and it’ll be the hub of all your gatherings over the festive period, so read on to find out more…
Another day, another DIY! This time, it’s a classy coffee table that doubles up as handy storage. And would it even be a Cassie Fairy DIY if it didn’t include pallets?? The rustic-yet-cool chevron effect top is all refinished pallet wood – making this a money-saving project too. Read on to find out how to DIY a coffee table for yourself this autumn…
I’ve given my old teak display cabinet a bit of a makeover. Previously, all the messy items I was storing inside the unit were there for all to see – and you know how much I dislike clutter. So, what was the solution? Why, to paint the cabinet doors, of course! But the doors are made entirely of glass, so it’s not as easy as using a tin of paint and a roller (although I’ve never tried that – does it work?) so I’ve put together a little DIY video so guide you through the process…
Old and stained double-glazed doors can make your entire home look tired, and no amount of cleaning can get them back to their box-fresh whiteness. PVC doors can be costly to replace so why not spruce them up with a coat of paint? Not possible? Here’s how I revamped my ugly kitchen door with a vibrant pop of colour to keep summery vibes in my home for longer..!
Last week I mentioned that I’m currently working on renovating my kitchen and that I’d already revamped a few retro kitchen chairs. I’ve since been asked how I restored these junk-shop finds to their former glory so I thought I’d put together a little video to show you how to upholster a kitchen chair and renovate the wooden frame…
I don’t know why hostess trolleys ever went out of fashion. They’re so handy for gathering everything you need together, and wheeling it right where you need it to be. So, when I spotted this old wooden trolley in a skip, I was keen to rescue it. Here’s how to upcycle a retro trolley into a vintage style bar cart for bank holiday parties…
When I found a few brick pallets in a building site skip (and asked if it would be okay to re-use them!) my mind starting whirring at the possible projects they could be used for. The result is this kids’ mud kitchen and I thought I’d share the step-by-step project with you today…
It’s been a really exciting couple of months at Cassiefairy HQ and I’ve been lucky enough to be featured in a few new publications woo! It’s been a while since I updated you with my latest news (in fact, I haven’t shared anything since May!) so I thought I’d gather together some of the projects I’ve been working on recently for you to check out today…
It’s finally happened! I have my very own finished home office! I’m sat at my wall-to-wall DIY desk as we speak, uploading tons of photos to this blog post and I can’t wait to show you everything in this room tour of my home office…
If you want to create an outdoor kitchen in your garden, it’s easy to DIY it with just a few pallets, a scaffold board & a ceramic sink. Here’s how I made a handy kitchen cabinet & worktop for my deck from scrap wood…
I’ve been DIYing in the garden again and this time I’ve made an outdoor coffee table using an old wooden cable reel that I found in a skip. Plus, I’ve created a cosy corner for drinks and chatting outside on my deck (featuring my ‘new’ coffee table, so here’s how I did it…
We’ve had a busy week of garden-based DIYing here, which all began when we got hold of some low-cost scaffold boards from the local timber yard. My mind went into overdrive about all the things I could build with the 13ft-long boards but we decided to start small with some rustic garden benches. Here’s how to make them…
You only have to open up the Pinterest home page to discover a multitude of ways to incorporate mid-century design into your home. It’s no longer about choosing a ’50s, ’60s or ’70s “theme” that you have to commit to, it’s about choosing sleek designs that fit into your 21st century home perfectly. Here’s how…
All good bank holiday weekends should be spent DIYing, right? The project I had earmarked for the May bank holiday has been long overdue and I can’t believe it’s finally happened! Here’s how I DIYed a wall-to-wall desk for my home office…
After decades of use and sun exposure in a conservatory many classic Lloyd Loom chairs are faded or damaged. While it’s still possible to buy the originals (I picked these up at a car boot sale) it’s likely that they’ll need a little care and attention to bring them back to life. Here’s some simple tricks to renovate vintage woven chairs and bring a touch of retro design onto your patio this summer…
I’ve been working on another pallet upcycling project and this month I’ve been creating much-needed storage for my bathroom. Pallet wood is my favourite material to make furniture from – it’s sturdy, looks much better with just a little TLC and, best of all, it’s free! Here’s how I DIYed a bathroom laundry hamper and sink caddy from a pallet…
If you need a bed but are on a budget, why not make one yourself? Today’s blog post shows you how to build a platform bed on wheels using pallets, with step-by-step photos of the whole process. If, like me, you’re a fan of upcycling and like to build things with pallet wood, the newly published book Pallet Style by Nikkita Palmer and Billy Barker is the one for you. And the great news is that I’ve got a copy of the book to give away to one lucky winner so read on to enter..!
Today, I’m putting an old side table to good use by upcycling it with paint, sticky vinyl and acrylic to create a multi-purpose piece of furniture that serves as both a handy coffee table AND a games table! Want to make one for yourself? Here’s the project…
Are you in need of extra storage space in your kitchen? Today’s upcycling DIY could be just what you need! I’ve turned a couple of old pallets into a ‘pallet pantry’ and I’ve shared the step-by-step project…
If you want to kit out your home (or home office, like me!) with some gorgeous coordinating homewares but haven’t got the budget to splash out on new items, why not head to your local charity shop to see what you can find? Here’s how I upcycled my Barnardos haul into useful storage for my home offce…
Fancy making your own neon snowflake light to decorate your home for Christmas? I’ve shared the full DIY project along with photos of my own minimalist snowy white festive bedroom…
If you haven’t got a Christmas tree or simply can’t fit one into your home, this DIY copper-pipe tree is a great slimline option. You can make it yourself using offcuts from your plumbing project, a broom handle and a piece of pallet wood, so it’s practically free!
If you’re planning to entertain over Christmas and New Year, it’s a great idea to have a cocktail cabinet ass a place to serve delicious drinks to your guests. Here’s how to make your own DIY retro bar from an old display cabinet…
If you long to create the home office of your dreams but have been shocked by the price of office storage furniture, today’s DIY project could be the solution. Here’s how to upcycle a rusty old filing cabinet so that you can add castors for a flexible office configuration, or turn it into a desk with built-in drawers…
If you’re planning a festive get-together over the coming months, this light-up bar would make a great focal point to serve up cocktails. And even better, it’s made from pallets! So get out the drill, pop open that pot of paint and have a go at DIYing it for yourself…
If you need a cabinet in your bathroom for all your beauty bits ‘n’ bobs here’s an easy DIY cupboard you can make in a day using pallet wood. It’s a great way to recycle an old pallet and mirror, and you can make it any size to suit the space you have in your bathroom…
Macramé is everywhere these days, isn’t it? I can barely open up Pinterest without pinning countless designs for plant hangers and knotted wall art. Today I’m sharing a step-by-step guide to making your own macramé daybed – it’s a rather impressive project but it’s one that you definitely can make at home.
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